Discovery of High Proper-Motion Ancient White Dwarfs: Nearby Massive Compact Halo Objects?

We present the discovery and spectroscopic identification of two very high proper-motion ancient white dwarf stars, found in a systematic proper-motion survey. Their kinematics and apparent magnitude clearly indicate that they are halo members, while their optical spectra are almost identical to the recently identified cool halo white dwarf WD 0346+246. Canonical stellar halo models predict a white dwarf volume density that is 2 orders of magnitude less than the rho approximately 7x10-4 M middle dot in circle pc-3 inferred from this survey. With the caveat that the sample size is very small, it appears that a significant fraction, approximately 10%, of the local dark matter halo is in the form of very old, cool, white dwarfs.     

美国东南部大陆边缘的天然气水合物利用宽角地震资料进行全波形约束和走时反演

利用BSR已完成美国东南边缘大约50000km2的地区编图，并已证实可能与大量天然气水合物有关。1992年6月，同时获得该地区的单道地震和宽角海底地震资料，主要集中在布莱克洋脊和卡罗来纳海隆，能清楚地观察到来自BSR的宽角反射偏移距（达6km）。为了了解区域性的变化和生成卡罗纳海隆高背景速度的二维平均速度模型，用宽角和垂直入射资料进行走时反演，然后做全波形反演业确定BSR的地震成因。最合适的模型显示了两处的BSR之下具相似的低速（1.4km/s），暗示圈闭了低饱和度（10％）的游离气，反演结果也显示有一薄层高速楱状体，最大速度为2.3km/s，刚好位于布莱克洋脊的BSR上方；计算了沉积物反射率，观察到卡罗来纳海隆具有较高的反射率，BSR之下的反射率增加几乎与两个站位的含气带对应。根据速度模型估算了水合物的浓度。另一方面，占沉积物总体积3%的水合物之平均浓度暗示布莱克洋脊地区水合物稳定带厚度少一半。卡罗来纳海隆水合物平均 浓度最大为20%，卡罗来纳海隆7%。这两处水合物浓度高，无法仅用原地生物活动来解释，可能与次生的聚集机制不关，因稳定域迁移引起水合物循环，可能影响两地的水合物凝聚。另外，流体向上排出的增加，也可以使 布莱克洋脊生存下去。     

Changes in manganese and lead in the environment and young children associated with the introduction of MMT in gasoline

This is a 4-year longitudinal study to evaluate changes to the environment and exposure of young children associated with the introduction of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl （MMT） into Australia in 2000. The cohort includes 57 females and 56 males; age range of 0.29 to 3.9 years. Samples are collected every 6 months from children in residences located at varying distances from major traffic thoroughfares in Sydney. Environmental samples： air, house and day care dustfall, soil, dust sweepings and gasoline. Samples from children： blood, urine, handwipes prior to and after playing outdoors, and a 6-day duplicate diet. All samples are analyzed for a suite of 20 elements using ICP-MS. Results are presented for the first three 6-month sampling periods for Pb and Mn. For dustfall accumulation, there was no significant change over the 3 sampling periods （time） for Pb or Mn, and a positive relationship between ‘traffic exposure＇ （traffic volume and proximity to the road） and Pb but not Mn. For handwipes, Pb and Mn in wipes taken from children after playing outdoors were usually significantly greater than for wipes taken prior to playing. There was no significant association between Pb or Mn in handwipes with traffic exposure. Dustfall accumulation was a significant predictor for Pb in the handwipes, and dust sweepings were a significant predictor of Mn in handwipes.     

砂岩中骨架颗粒溶解的理论

我们发现,长石和岩屑骨架颗粒的溶解作用(FGD)对于可溶颗粒大于10%的砂岩的储集性来说具有重要意义。据集些储集砂岩的研究,其骨架颗粒溶解孔隙度可高达70%左右,其平均孔隙度约为可见孔隙的30%。骨架颗粒溶解作用不能明显地增加储层的渗透率。但是,我们发现,骨架颗粒溶解孔隙度的发育数量是砂岩原始渗透率的函数。我们认为,页岩中的粘土及有机成熟作用为骨架颗粒溶解产生了必要的水、酸及络合剂。骨架颗粒溶解的溶剂被排驱至砂岩中,在那里长石和岩屑被溶解了,而且由此产生的溶解铝被络合,并搬运至砂岩之外。     

南极沿海伯尔顿盐湖双刺镰状水蚤盐度耐性的季节变化

双刺镰状水蚤Drepanopus bispinosus为南极沿海伯尔顿盐湖(Burton lake)中的越冬种类之一,其雌性性成熟大约于每年的初冬季节,在随后8个多月的生活史中,经历了一个盐度从33(5月份)到39(11月份)的环境变化.本文报道了该水蚤雌性成体对环境盐度适应的季节差异,动物在冬季的耐低盐能力较夏季强,从冬季到夏季,动物对盐度的适应范围明显地向高盐度方向偏移,这与环境盐度对动物的驯化有关.在低盐水中,动物的呼吸率增高,且夏季大于冬季,因而进一步证实了环境盐度的变化对动物盐度适应性的影响.     

The stable aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist potency of United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) offshore produced water effluents

The in vitro aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist potency of offshore produced water effluents, collected from the United Kingdom Continental Shelf, was determined using the dioxin responsive (DR)-chemically activated luciferase expression (CALUX) assay. Octadecylsilane (C18) solid phase extraction (SPE) extracts of produced water were exposed to DR-CALUX cells for 24 h in order to investigate the contribution in potency from compounds that are stable to metabolism by the CALUX cells during exposure. The stable AhR agonist potency determined over 24 h was highly variable and ranged from 1 to 430 ng TCDD TEQ_CALUX l⁻¹. These data reflect the highly variable composition of produced water discharges from different production fields. It is recommended that further work be performed to characterise the full range of stable dioxin like AhR agonists present in offshore produced water discharges using techniques such as bioassay-directed analysis.     

铁和氯是美国爱达荷钴矿带层状 Cu-Co-Au 矿床的指示标志

爱达荷钴矿带的 Cu-Co-Au 矿床产在中元古代耶洛贾克特组(Yellowjacket F.)中,该组以含有独特的化学和矿物成分,包括高浓度 Fe(15—30wt%Fe_2O_3)、Cl(0.1—1.10wt%)和磁铁矿或黑云母(>50vol%)为特征。黑鸟(Black-bird)矿区的 Cu-Co-Au矿床是产在 Fe 硅酸盐相岩层中的层控矿床,该硅酸盐相岩层富含 Fe、黑云母和 Cl。下部岩石地层带含有磁铁矿和小型 Cu-Co-Au 矿床,其延伸大于40km。富铁岩层可能是与镁铁质火山作用和海底热泉有关的喷气岩单位,但对高 Cl 浓度的成因不清楚。认为富 Cl 的孔隙流体是由于存在超盐度液体包体、富 Cl 黑云母和方柱石(Scapolite)(相当富 Fe 黑